zathrez
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Thread Starter
- Joined
- May 27, 2026
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- Preamp, Processor or Receiver
- Denon AVR-X3800h
- Main Amp
- Denon AVR-X3800h
- Universal / Blu-ray / CD Player
- Panasonic DP-UB820
- Front Speakers
- Ascend Acoustics Sierra Tower v2
- Center Channel Speaker
- Ascend Acoustics Duo v2
- Surround Speakers
- Ascend Acoustics Luna v2
- Subwoofers
- rythmik LVX-12 pair
I'm trying to finalize my "media room". I've got one big-ish problem left. The room has a response peak right around 815 Hz. I can't find the source. Nothing I do even changes it much.
This peak is why I finally downloaded REW (V5.31.3), bought a umik-1, and started trying to find it the right way. What I've found in the last month is that REW is large and complex, and I don't know enough to use it well. At least not yet.
I've attached a couple of REW mdat files. Both of these are using the single R speaker of the main L/R pair. This is with no EQ or subs (Audyssey off because Denon set to "pure direct" mode). The first file shows the big mid-range peak as heard by the mic set at the main listening position (MLP) at my ear height when I'm sitting there. The second file shows what the speaker is actually playing when REW does its chirp (from 1m (39") out front of speaker, at the height of the tweeter, and pointed directly at the tweeter, with the correct calibration file selected). Both speakers are about 1m (39") out from the front wall, and also from the side walls. Which puts them out in front of the TV. Slightly toed in.
Some questions come to mind:
1) How does a room build up a peak like that? That's in the range of 6-10 dB higher than what the direct sound from the speaker delivers. So, some sort of resonance in the room? Or maybe more probably, the layering on of reflections? Where is the extra energy coming from? I wish I'd had more acoustics training...
2) What's the most effective method of using REW to find the reflections that make up this narrow midrange peak? REW is so big that it probably has good tools for stuff like this, but I don't know what they are, much less how to use them.
3) Now that I know I've got a problem, how do I fix it? I don't want to just throw EQ at it. For one thing, I've tried that and Audyssey couldn't cope with it. It would only bring it down maybe 3 dB and it was still easily audible. That 820 Hz range is where a lot of female singers work, and lots of classical acoustic piano. With those it's hard to ignore (everyone who's heard this room coming together has heard this peak, it is not just me), even with Audyssey working its tail off. So in order to throw EQ at it, I first have to reduce it to manageable proportions.
Context:
Room is about 13.7' x 20.5' x 7.9'. Two walls are outside walls and are basic block and brick, finished with 2x2" furring strips and 5/8" wall board. Two windows in the long wall, one in the short wall that the MLP faces. These two outside walls have an HVAC duct (because of course). The soffit around the ducts is pretty stiff since it had to be remade. The tearing out and replacing of this duct work is what required the "remodel" of this room in the first place.
The long interior wall has two doors in it, both closed when in use. The rear wall has a double door that can open to the rest of the basement, but is closed when in use. I'm just saying this is a sealed room and not an "open plan" room.
The room is well treated with GIK panels. All four corners are floor to ceiling tri-trap bass traps. The walls and ceilings have about a 50/50 mix of absorption panels and diffusion / absorption panels. Maybe 28 panels in addition to the corner bass traps.
The room works great for HT. What I'm trying to do here is make it also work great for old school stereo. My wife likes 1940's Frank Sinatra, if you play some of those CDs this room sounds wonderful because practically everyting is below that 815Hz peak.
So... am I screwed? Or is this fixable?
This peak is why I finally downloaded REW (V5.31.3), bought a umik-1, and started trying to find it the right way. What I've found in the last month is that REW is large and complex, and I don't know enough to use it well. At least not yet.
I've attached a couple of REW mdat files. Both of these are using the single R speaker of the main L/R pair. This is with no EQ or subs (Audyssey off because Denon set to "pure direct" mode). The first file shows the big mid-range peak as heard by the mic set at the main listening position (MLP) at my ear height when I'm sitting there. The second file shows what the speaker is actually playing when REW does its chirp (from 1m (39") out front of speaker, at the height of the tweeter, and pointed directly at the tweeter, with the correct calibration file selected). Both speakers are about 1m (39") out from the front wall, and also from the side walls. Which puts them out in front of the TV. Slightly toed in.
Some questions come to mind:
1) How does a room build up a peak like that? That's in the range of 6-10 dB higher than what the direct sound from the speaker delivers. So, some sort of resonance in the room? Or maybe more probably, the layering on of reflections? Where is the extra energy coming from? I wish I'd had more acoustics training...
2) What's the most effective method of using REW to find the reflections that make up this narrow midrange peak? REW is so big that it probably has good tools for stuff like this, but I don't know what they are, much less how to use them.
3) Now that I know I've got a problem, how do I fix it? I don't want to just throw EQ at it. For one thing, I've tried that and Audyssey couldn't cope with it. It would only bring it down maybe 3 dB and it was still easily audible. That 820 Hz range is where a lot of female singers work, and lots of classical acoustic piano. With those it's hard to ignore (everyone who's heard this room coming together has heard this peak, it is not just me), even with Audyssey working its tail off. So in order to throw EQ at it, I first have to reduce it to manageable proportions.
Context:
Room is about 13.7' x 20.5' x 7.9'. Two walls are outside walls and are basic block and brick, finished with 2x2" furring strips and 5/8" wall board. Two windows in the long wall, one in the short wall that the MLP faces. These two outside walls have an HVAC duct (because of course). The soffit around the ducts is pretty stiff since it had to be remade. The tearing out and replacing of this duct work is what required the "remodel" of this room in the first place.
The long interior wall has two doors in it, both closed when in use. The rear wall has a double door that can open to the rest of the basement, but is closed when in use. I'm just saying this is a sealed room and not an "open plan" room.
The room is well treated with GIK panels. All four corners are floor to ceiling tri-trap bass traps. The walls and ceilings have about a 50/50 mix of absorption panels and diffusion / absorption panels. Maybe 28 panels in addition to the corner bass traps.
The room works great for HT. What I'm trying to do here is make it also work great for old school stereo. My wife likes 1940's Frank Sinatra, if you play some of those CDs this room sounds wonderful because practically everyting is below that 815Hz peak.
So... am I screwed? Or is this fixable?
